HOW SELLERS TURN LOCAL AGENTS INTO ENEMIES
by Neil JenmanReading time: apx 2 minsHarry and Muriel want to sell their home. Their children have grown and flown so they want to downsize. Plus create extra cash.Before he…
There are two reasons to mystery-shop agents. The first is to help you find the best agent to sell your home. The second is to check up on your chosen agent when your home is for sale.
Most agents treat buyers appallingly. They don’t return phone calls. They don’t follow up. And they have scant regard for the buyers’ needs. The proof – aside from the massive amount of anecdotal evidence – that most agents show complete disdain to buyers is this: All buyers eventually become sellers. And when they decide to sell, less than 20 per cent of former buyers list with the agent from whom they bought the home.
As a home seller, you need an agent who is respectful towards buyers, who qualifies them politely and who follows them up regularly.
To discover how agents treat buyers, contact a few agents and enquire about some homes they have for sale. If the agents don’t call you back promptly, if they treat you disrespectfully or, worse, if they ignore you completely, this is not the agent to sell your home.
Keep searching until you find an agent who treats buyers well.
Agents who handle buyers the best are the agents who get the best price.
The second reason for mystery-shopping agents is when you become a seller. Have a friend contact your agent and ask questions about your home and then give you feedback. If you allow free-for-all open inspections on your home, send a friend to inspect your home and report on the conduct of the agent.
Warning: Be prepared to be shocked about how that friendly agent with whom you listed your home, now talks about you and your home.
If you are not happy with how the agent is conducting the sale of your home, you can dismiss the agent provided that you insisted on the right to do so at the time you listed your property. If you do not have the right to dismiss the agent, then you are stuck with an agent you neither like nor respect. You will not be able to dismiss the agent until the expiry date of the Listing Agreement.
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This is an Excerpt from Neil’s latest book “EVERY QUESTION YOU MUST ASK BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR HOME”. To pre-order the full book, click on the cover below.
